Gen Z, Purpose & Pressure | A Father-Son Conversation with Ezra Henry

Hi Friends, join us for this mind challenging, spirit lead podcast. Im your Host Eric Henry & we're pleased to have you here! Stay Tuned Family 

What does it mean to find your purpose while navigating the pressures of being young in today's world?

In this special episode of Trusting, Not Tripping: Life be Lifin', Eric B. Henry sits down with his son, Ezra Henry, for an honest father-son conversation about purpose, faith, identity, and the realities of being Gen Z. Together, they discuss how young people can stay grounded when life gets complicated, expectations feel overwhelming, and the future seems uncertain. 

Whether you're a young adult trying to find your way, a parent seeking to better understand the next generation, or someone simply learning how to trust God through life's challenges, this conversation offers wisdom, perspective, and encouragement.

Life be lifin', but purpose still matters.

🎙️ Topics include:

• Finding purpose as a young adult
• Navigating pressure and expectations
• Faith in a changing world
• Father-son perspectives across generations
• Trusting God when life doesn’t make sense

Subscribe, share, and join the conversation.

Trusting, Not Tripping: Life be Lifin’ with Eric B. Henry: helping you find faith, confidence, and peace when life is doing what life does.  

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

All right, welcome to today's show. This is podcast number two, trusting, not tripping, life be life and so welcome to all of you that are watching. Glad that you're here. Hopefully, something will be said that um that that you can learn from, that you can change from, all that good stuff, because we're learning how to trust and not trip. Well, today I have a special guest. You know, he's uh he's a strong, bold, kingdom-minded young man, and he's a 21-year-old. He's a 21-year-old. And I wanted him here because I wanted the youth to be able to hear a perspective of living for Jesus from uh from a from a young guy, from a young guy, because they expect me to say all the things that that church people say, but I wanted somebody that's young and in the world, but not necessarily of the world, to um to talk and just give you give the youth a different perspective. And so I want to introduce to the world my son, my youngest son, Ezra Henry. Welcome, son.

SPEAKER_03 1:02

What's up, everybody? I'm Ezra. I'm doing great. I'm good, I'm excellent. I'm excellent.

SPEAKER_05 1:08

Yeah, yeah, that's my word. Excellent. Well, uh and I'm excited to have him here for the reasons that I previously mentioned, but also because uh, like I stated, he's a 21-year-old, but he has a birthday this Tuesday. So happy birthday to you, son. Thank you, happy birthday. Yeah, so we're gonna we're gonna jump right in. You ready to talk a little bit? Come on. All right, we're gonna talk like we're in this car. All right, we're riding in the car. Right, right, right, right. All right, here we go. So we got a couple seconds we're gonna talk through, but but but the first one is pressure's real. And so we're gonna jump right into it. And so let's have a conversation about um uh what kind of pressure uh are young people dealing with.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

So I think uh some pressures that young people are dealing with is just like figuring out who they are and and what their calling or purpose is in life. Um and also just like the things that that we see on the internet and on TV, you know what I'm saying? We want to we we we don't know like who we are, so like sometimes we tend to replicate that. And um and yeah, and it kind of hinders us from um just carrying out our uh calling and purpose. But we have to first figure out who we are, right? But but yeah, I think those are some of the pressures and and just like just life, you know, like okay, okay, I like that.

SPEAKER_05 2:22

And so, and and that's pretty good. That no, that's really good. And so those those are things that the youth are dealing with, but then you have you mentioned uh on television and on the internet, and we see a lot of uh a lot of things that that are toxic and a lot of things that are sexual, right, uh, a lot of things that are perverted, right? And all of those uh sources. And so how do you um, you know, I and I guess when from a young person, you know, you see that and you think that it's okay, but then for those that that that happen to go to church or or you know with their parents or with their grandparents or whatever, and you hear you hear the preacher talking about fornication or you hear the preacher talking about all these different things, not to drink and not to abuse your body and all those different things. So, so talk to talk to me and tell me how do what would you say to a young person that's um that's faced with that, right?

SPEAKER_03 3:16

So um just like the world, the world will tell you that all of these things are okay, and then you'll hear it in church and stuff like that, and hear what the pastor has to say about it. But it's just like I would say a way to overcome stuff, things like that, and obstacles and temptations and doorways like that is just being spiritually uh grounded and rooted. So, like guarding also like just guarding your heart and also like what you see and hear and things of that nature, like because it's like that'll influence you, and then it's like also experience can be a good teacher as well, because unfortunately, unfortunately and unfortunately, like life is gonna life and then you're gonna be uh faced with things like the temptations, and and and if you don't know better, then sometimes you'll tend to just give in or whatever. And um, and and and and then that's also profitable once you go through those situations, because once you did know scripture, then you be like, okay, well, that's why God said not to do this, because it had this result. That's why God told me not to smoke this, because now I'm not less poised. I'm I'm less poised as as I would have I'm less poised, I'm less poised, um, I'm less poised and I'm not as I'm not as um sharp as I would be otherwise, right? If I would have just you know follow fall fell in line with what the Lord said. So all things can work out for our good and um the Lord's glorification if we just you know um apply scripture and and and understand scripture as well, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_05 4:31

Right. There's a scripture that I thought of when you were talking, it says, That word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee. That that's a real thing, right? You know, you get the word in you, and so I guess that would be the first step is uh um we need to come right, right. We need to come up with a maybe a source of somewhat where the youth uh first of all know that they need to have the word in their heart, right? To how do you get it easily without feeling like somebody's beating me up or attacking me and so forth?

SPEAKER_03 4:59

That's why you gotta be gracious too, like whenever you do like spread the word and and and and have like a have a delivery where somebody can receive what you're saying because you can't just jam jam the seed in the soil, you know what I'm saying, and and and expect it to have a expect to have like a big beautiful tree. You know what I'm saying? You want to be gentle and and also just like you know, nurturing, nurturing, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 5:19

Yeah, yeah. I like that. I like that. I like that. And so, you know, you know, uh a lot of times the pressure though that the that that we feel, I'm not gonna even limit it to young people, but the pressure that we feel is not even from other people. A lot of time it's internal, yeah. And so, you know, we're trying to trying to be something, trying to prove something, right? You know, trying to try not to fall behind, you know. Right, right, right. Trying to climb a ladder of success. And so we're trying to get that based on again what we see on the internet and what we see on um social media because because social media paints a picture of people that are living this fantabulous life, right? Right, yeah, but then if you really get to know them, they struggle. They struggling in big ways, right? You know, big way. I always say fame don't always equate to money. You can be known by everybody and be broker than the people that know you.

SPEAKER_04 6:18

Yeah, oh yes, I know what you mean.

SPEAKER_05 6:19

Yeah, yeah, that that that's that's a real thing. It's uh but peep, but but youth uh see that and they'll want that, you know, they'll want that, they want that quick, that microwave.

SPEAKER_03 6:30

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, yeah, and it's like it's not even to say that you can't be successful and um and still be doing good behind closed doors, because glory to God, you can be successful, you can you can thrive in a world and still be doing good spiritually behind closed doors. You know what I'm saying? Success, having success doesn't mean that you're hurting behind closed doors, right, right, absolutely. You can have success and and still be good behind closed doors. It's all it's all about it's all about where you are mentally and spiritually. That's what I would say. Because you can be happy, broke, you can be happy, rich. Right.

SPEAKER_05 6:58

It's just a matter of where you are spiritually, and I think you should just be happy either way, either way, right? Always, right? Always, you know, because one of the things that that that I'm learning is that um the journey is a process, right? And so while you're in that journey, it's good to um it's good to kind of enjoy the journey, right? Because you pick up a lot, a lot of things, right? You pick up a lot of things in that journey, you know, when you're when you're seeing, when you're experiencing some of the lows, right, but also when you're experiencing some of the highs, because it equips you for what you have to do in this because all of us are born with purpose, purpose, and so purpose is um, you know, it's a real thing, right?

SPEAKER_03 7:37

Everybody has it. As long as you are breath in your body, there's still purpose for you to carry out on this work.

SPEAKER_05 7:41

That may be a good thing to that, may be a good thing to start instilling into the youth is that you were created right for a reason for a purpose and a reason. Yeah, yeah. And so it wasn't because mom and dad did what they did, yeah. God still had to give life, and if he assigned life to to that moment, it's because he had purpose. And so a lot of times I think we miss purpose because we're so busy trying to create purpose. And how do you create what you can't give? You know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. No, how do you you were already assigned purpose, yeah, yeah, right? So you shouldn't have to go out of there.

SPEAKER_03 8:17

It's not yeah, it's not something, it's not, yeah, it's it can already manifest because inside of you already, right?

SPEAKER_05 8:22

Right, right. Because you you have an assignment, right? You know, I like that word assignment. You have you were born with an assignment, right? And so the key is just tapping into what he created you to do to do, right? Because we're all products and he's the manufacturer, right, right. And it's and we're not gonna get it right all the time. Amen. We're not gonna get it right all the time. So I don't want the youth to think that just because you know you you sign up to you sign you sign up in church or you you go in church or you that that's the yeah, like that that's all that's in store for you, or that's the right, right? That that nothing that nothing will ever go wrong. No, it's gonna be a lot to go wrong, right? But the difference is the connection that you have with Christ that keeps you while you're going through. Amen. Amen. I'm glad you said that.

SPEAKER_03 9:05

I'm glad you said that because because because Jesus even tells us in this world you will have troubles, yeah, but fear not for how I've overcome the world. That's so it's like you have to have faith in all that you go through because just like we're talking about, this is a this is a pruning process, yeah. You're meant to go through these through through these situations so that it could be a testimony in it too, right?

SPEAKER_05 9:23

So you just gonna preach to me now? Praise the I mean hey, the Lord's will be done, the Lord's will be done. Because you you helping me, even though we're talking about it. I know all these things, but you helping me, you know, when we're talking about this, the Lord. So we're gonna move on to the next, the next, the next part of the next conversation, and that's faith under pressure. Okay, you know, now now here's the real question: how do you hold on to your faith when everything around you is pulling in the opposite direction?

SPEAKER_03 9:52

Staying rooted. I you how I'm gonna say that because it's like, yes, the world is gonna it's gonna poke at you, but if you stay rooted and if you if you have the word in your heart, there's nothing that you can't overcome. And you have to know this though. You have to know this and you have to believe it. Not even just know, but believe it. You have to. And I and that's what I say this because that's that's what I try to do. You know what I'm saying? That's what I try to do. I try to believe it, and I try to just keep it in my heart because and it's repetition too. Because just because you hear it one time, that doesn't mean that you don't have to hear it again. And that's what I'm that's what I'm saying about it. Not it's not a it's not just about knowing it, but believing it and having it in your heart and and it manifesting externally because it's in your heart, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 10:27

But see, that moment moved kind of quick. So I want to ask that question again because you answered that perfectly, but just in case, I know people will have an opportunity to rewind, right? But I want to ask that question again. How do you hold on to your faith when everything around you is pulling in the opposite direction? So keeping in mind what we talked about earlier that you have social media, you have face, I mean, you know, Facebook, all of social media, and then you have television, and all of that is pulling you, telling you, you can wear these booty shorts and do what you do. You can go this way, you can go that way, you and you can still be saved and do this and that. Right in the third, and so and so, yeah, you may be saved, but you're gonna still gonna represent the Lord in that manner, right? Right, right. And so there's a level of integrity that has to happen. Right, there's a level of integrity that has to happen. And so just keeping in mind with that question again, and I'm gonna ask it one more time because I feel like it's gonna pull something else from you.

SPEAKER_04 11:25

Okay, because I think you got something else you want to say.

SPEAKER_05 11:28

How do you hold on to your faith when everything around you is pulling in the opposite direction?

SPEAKER_03 11:37

I would say just me just staying focused on the vision because like I have something that I see and that I want, and I know that it's these things that are happening externally trying to pull me left and right, but it's like me staying focused on the vision is keeping me on track to still carrying out the purpose that I need to carry out as far as like doing what I need to do and um and trusting and not tripping. Because I think that's that's also something. I I know that that's the title of this podcast and that's the shirt he's wearing, that's the book he made, but like that's really like just the that's the foundation of all of this, you know what I'm saying? Just trusting, not tripping. That's what keeps me um that's what keeps me walking straight, you know what I'm saying? And even if I do stagger sometimes or like walk or if I step left and right, that can redirect me on right back to where I need to be, you know what I'm saying? Trust, not tripping, and knowing scripture to keep me um on a narrow path, you know. So yeah. Okay. What about you though? Can you can you can you uh elaborate on that as well? Can you answer your own question?

SPEAKER_05 12:31

But it's about you, not me. No, but I'm playing, I'm playing, I'm playing. Well, I I I think that I think you summed it up well, and that is uh when I quoted the scripture earlier that thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee. I think it's important also to tap into the fact that we all are assigned purpose. And yeah, back to that statement again that we talked about a moment ago. You know, we're all assigned purpose. And so with the with the assignment of purpose being on our lives, then you really don't have to go again and create the purpose. All you have to do is is connect with the father and figure out what is your assignment in the earth, and then start taking steps towards it.

SPEAKER_04 13:19

Amen.

SPEAKER_05 13:20

Start taking steps towards it. And again, like you say, you may, you may, you may shift here and there and do, you know, you you're gonna veer. You may even stumble, right? But you won't fall. Amen. That's the great thing. You may stumble, but yeah, but if you do, you know, Donna McClerkin wrote a song that said, We fall down, but we do, amen.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

We fall down.

SPEAKER_05 13:42

Wait a minute, we're not gonna sing. I'm playing, I'm playing. You know, my my my my son. My son is a soloist. You know, he he's a soloist. Him and my him and my dad, who was a quartet singer. Uh, and I'm I'm kind of veering before I go to this next segment. But remember y'all was sitting in the middle of the yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

Yeah, yep, I remember and um Jesus on the main line.

SPEAKER_05 14:09

Tell him what you want, tell him y'all was singing, and you y'all were having a competition on who was singing. The best, you know, and that was funny. We we're gonna take we're gonna take five seconds. You wanna sing a little bit and sing Jesus on the main line? Let me hear what you got so we can all laugh together. Come on, all right.

SPEAKER_03 14:30

Uh I mean I'll I'll rather see this uh Jesus be the name. Okay, go ahead. They gets all the glory.

SPEAKER_02 14:36

Go ahead. Jesus be the name. Jesus be the name. Jesus be the name. They gets all the glory. They love it in the background.

SPEAKER_03 14:49

But also, but it's something else that you when you were speaking, you were you were talking about like about being pulled left and right. Um, it was hey, you you were talking, there was something I wanted to add on to that. Like as far as like as far as um what was it? Okay, I'll I'll try to come back to it, but we we can continue. We can continue. It's gonna it's gonna come back. It's gonna come back.

SPEAKER_05 15:09

You know, but uh, but thank you for that. We're gonna get you signed up with a uh with the singing contract. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:14

Please, please, I need that. I need that.

SPEAKER_05 15:16

Okay, but um, but but but in segment, in this next segment, we're talking about life be the life and you know, the the moment that life be life, and you know, I'm your dad, but I I I I really want us to go there with no hesitation. I I want you to give me a moment where life was really life and for you, and you had to decide, am I gonna trip or am I gonna trust?

SPEAKER_03 15:41

Um I would say probably like at work, and and this, and I think that this is this is purpose-driven as well. That's the reason why I respond this way. But like, I feel like I'm tested at work a lot because it's like like you'll get ridiculed or or accused of something, or even just talk too crazy. And it's like the world, this is kind of an example of of being pulled left and right, like the world, and also just like knowing like what the world will tell you. The world will tell you like just lash out and lash out on somebody and and um and curse them out, repay you for evil, essentially, repay you for evil, you know what I'm saying. But but just knowing that purpose is like I think that the Lord has has me going through these things at at work, just also so I can set an example of how to respond to these situations whenever you're getting yelled at or or accused or or um ridiculed, and also to just be a testimony too, like as to like how to respond to these situations, but um, but more so like you'll refute every tongue that speaks any uh anything against you. You know what I'm saying? That's that's that's that's a lie. Because like that's the thing, it's like I know it's a lie, and that's the thing. I feel like understanding as well, you have to understand too, because like if you don't understand, then it's like how it's it's hard to make decisions and have discernment to like navigate in these situations. So um yeah, like that's uh okay, so that yeah, to cut it short, like that's been a time where I I was trusted and not tripping, not lashing out, like you you're being told this, you're getting accused of this, but like just responding accordingly and just keeping a cool head about the situation because it's it's cool, you know who you are. We know who we are, and and or I know I try to know who I'm and what I'm called to do, and and and and to just be uh uh and to just be uh have having confidence in my purpose and what the Lord has has um has me doing, you know, the purpose that I'm that I'm called to carry out and and also just to display and be an example as well, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_05 17:29

Okay, I I like that. I like that and and and the great thing about it is you're 21 with this mindset, and um I'm 54 with the same mindset, but I wasn't that 21 because there were a whole lot of things that your daddy went through, you know, on the job. Right, life be life, life be life, life be life and on the job and uh just in life. Well, I felt like no, you know, because growing up, people wouldn't believe this, but growing up, I was um I was a real introvert, you know. I was a real introvert, I was very, very shy, very, very quiet. You can be using me, and I'd be like, oh, okay, thank you. Right, you know, just timid conduct. But when I when I when I when I kind of flipped the script from that, I didn't, you know, I didn't I didn't do that on my I didn't do that on my uh when I flipped the script from that. Right, it wasn't I didn't just do it gracefully or graciously. Yeah, you know, when I flipped the script, I was like, oh, I'm finna get you for everything everybody has done to me. And so there were some really, really bad situations, and I'm gonna say it on the camera. Right, transparency, because we're being transparent. I'm gonna say it on the camera because if I don't even know if this lady's still alive, uh uh if she's still alive, but but if she happened to see it, I want to apologize to you. I want to apologize, apologize publicly to you because she was being real ugly to me at work. Right since you talked about work at work, and I took all I could take, and she happened to be, she wore one of those boots where one leg was shorter than the other, so she had to have a boot to even her out when she walked. And I took all I could take. And when I tell you, I ripped her a new one, and I basically took that shoe off without taking that shoe off. I verbally assaulted her about her walk and about a whole bunch of things. Right. And I didn't do it, and I did it, and you didn't have to guess if I did it or not. I did it right there in front of my supervisor and everybody. Right. And I sat there just as calm as I'm talking to you, and I cussed that lady from her rooter to her tutor, and I talked about her walk. She ran out of there and ran to the restroom that happened to be in our section, and I said, No, I don't go cry. Come on back out here and get this. Because you you've pushed the button, you poked the bell, and now this bow is roaring up. Now, was that the right thing to do? Absolutely not, because they knew I was a church musician.

SPEAKER_04 20:05

Yeah, they got it.

SPEAKER_05 20:06

They knew I was the church boy, yeah. So in that moment, you know, I was tripping, I wasn't trusting because I had taken all I could take, and I wanted you to feel what I felt in that moment, and I wanted you to feel what life had made me feel from other people, right? You know, and that ain't the right thing to do. So I'm sharing that because even in your youth, young people, don't do it. Yeah, it it you don't have to have the last word, it's not even about you or not about us. You don't have to do it. A lot of times we do it because we want to be vindicated. We feel like I gotta vindicate myself, but that's not what the word says.

SPEAKER_03 20:46

Right, avenging our own souls, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:48

The Lord says that He will vindicate you, and so and I know that's easier said than done, and a lot of times you will have to take somewhat of a slap in the face and turn the other cheek. But you can do it, you can do it, and it's worth it. It is worth it worth it, especially nowadays, the way people are pulling out guns and doing stuff, it's worth it.

SPEAKER_03 21:07

So don't do it, and it's not even to say, it's not even to say that you can't even you can't you can't say you can't speak life onto things or or you can't transform a situation from its its current state from speaking. It's just about the delivery, though. Like you don't have to you don't have to rip somebody a new one, yeah. You can keep their current one intact and and and just like speak life onto that one, you know what I'm saying? That's what you're doing. You can do that, you know, and and and and just also to just to just to complete that scripture, like, yeah, like the Lord, the Lord tells us like do not avenge yourself. And that's that's also what's going on in in music and stuff too. Like everybody, okay. Well, he he killed my cousin, so so I'm banging for my cousin, and and I want to kill his friends, and you know what I'm saying? You want to it's like you become with what was done to you, and you don't want you don't want what was done to you to you don't want that curse, that same curse that's that's now on them to then come onto you because then it's just gonna be a domino effect. And but Satan hasn't packaged to where it's like It's like now people are getting paid to lead other people down their own path down that same path of destruction. So it's like dang well I went through that same thing and he's getting paid to talk about it. So I want to do it now. You know what I'm saying? So then you start to you may have a you may have you may have been um blessed with the gift of like talking and and and and and being musically in tune. So now now you follow that path of destruction because of what you see him benefiting from. But it's like you're covered, you don't covet, don't cover it. Yeah, what you think you see him benefit from. Right, exactly, but you don't know what's going on behind closed doors. And it's like, you know, it's just that's what the world will tell us, man. Just don't don't follow the ways of the world, man. Do not but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, you know what I'm saying? So that's all that's all from being transformed by scripture, you know what I'm saying? Right, and it's a process though, it's a sanctification, it's a sanctification process. You're not gonna get you're not gonna get perfect as soon as you see scripture and memorize the Bible, you know what I'm saying? But it's just a matter of just like genuinely having a heart to want to seek the Lord, and and and and to seek the Lord in any situation.

SPEAKER_05 23:06

Genuinely having a heart to want to seek the Lord, right?

SPEAKER_03 23:11

Because this is this is this is this is the um the reality of the situation, it's not like a facade that we're trying to put on or nothing. It's just like this is real life, you know? Like this is what really needs to like take place. Yeah, um, but yeah, you know, we all live and learn and you know life is gonna life is gonna teach us. Life be life and but life be teaching.

SPEAKER_05 23:28

Life be life and but life be teaching. But I think that I think that that's a good conversation. I think that's a really good conversation. And then I go back to the scripture that I spoke of earlier, that thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee. It's so important to have scripture in your heart, and it that kind of um confirms what we just talked about, you know, that if you got it in you, you know, if you got it in you, then you know, even when life is life and right, you can pull on it. Right. And and and and then you you you you gotta be selfless enough not to want to vindicate yourself because of what you see. Right. Uh I mean because of what you feel, right? Right. You hit me, so I want to hit you back to you, right? And I want you to feel the pain that no, it's not even about that. Yeah, because the pain will go away, right? You know, but a lot of times you can speak things that uh it's so much power of life and death in the tongue. And so you can speak things that don't even you know, you you you you just yeah, like you just talk that you can't take back. That you can't take back, right? It's out there, right? It's out there, and it can manifest in ways that you just don't know, yeah. Don't know and don't want to, right?

SPEAKER_03 24:37

And it's all because you're like you're you're you're focused on like the the well, it's like you're catering to the flesh, essentially. Like you just cater into the flesh, and if you cater to the spirit, there's life and life, life abundantly, life everlasting. And that's the thing, it's not it's not just like God doesn't tell us these things just to to make us have a boring life, bro. The when you follow these laws and things of that nature, because that's the thing, is it's like it's spiritual laws. And I'm not saying not to say that it necessarily saves you from following it, but it's it's it keeps you in in these life, these worldly situations. Like, if you were to just cater to what the spirit is telling you rather than what the flesh is telling you, then you can escape, you can escape these the different, you can just escape the out the different outcomes that that weren't meant to be like. Let's say, like, if you were to you were to say something to somebody, and then now now that person wants to hurt you. Whereas if you didn't say, if you were to say something of the same sort but delivered in a different way that comes from the spirit, then it's like now that person doesn't want to hurt you, but they want to hug you. Right now, now you have a new connection and relationship due to how you responded to that situation. They receive you differently, right? They receive you differently, and that's and that's that's that's what we want to do. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You want to be receptive, right?

SPEAKER_05 25:43

Received and yeah, yeah, that's that's that's real good. That's that's real good, boy. I done talked to you. Glory to the Lord, yeah, glory to that holy spirit, man. He be speaking, right, right, right, right. And so we'll move on to to uh our next talk talking point identity and purpose. Okay, you know, a lot of people your age is still trying to figure out who they are, right? So so let me ask you this how do you stay true to yourself when everybody else is trying to define you?

SPEAKER_03 26:12

Well, I know that I know that uh people can define you, but like they didn't create you so that so what they what they say about you or speak onto your life isn't necessarily the truth. So somebody may say, like, man, you gonna be just like your daddy and stuff like that. But it's like, nah, like I can determine who I am because I have my own will and I have my own calling and purpose and passions in life. You know what I'm saying? So just knowing what your passions, what your passions are in life, what's right to do, and then going from there. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_05 26:42

So again, we we go back to something that we've talked about earlier, and that is that knowing your purpose, right? Knowing your purpose, and just just understanding what the assignment is. Assignment is of the assignment is. And I love that word assignment, and I know that's that that's that's that's more of a word that's used on a collegiate level, you know. Right, but that applies in the same context. Yeah, it applies everywhere because you're learning even as you live.

SPEAKER_03 27:06

Yeah, and that's also something I would I would also uh want to say to like the youth as well, like learn, always keep learning, man, keep learning because like the more you learn, the more equipped you are to carry to do most a lot of different things in life. Like if you if you uh cap yourself off to learning this, then it's like you can't do a lot of different things no more because it's like you're you're you're um you're you're uh limiting yourself, essentially. You're limiting yourself. So don't limit yourself, keep learning, keep growing, you know, and and keep experiencing it. Yeah, keep experiencing it. But I want to go back. I want to go back.

SPEAKER_05 27:39

I want to go back to um um the life be life and moment, okay. You know, that segment because there was something I wanted to mention in there. Well, there was a question I wanted to ask, and I'm I'm intentional when I ask this question because of the youth that may have an opportunity to hear it. And so, and I know the big thing right now is um you know, is this high, feeling this high. And that high will, you know, is it's not the Holy Spirit high, it's the the high, the high of the grass, the high of the weed. Oh, that? You know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The high. You know, everybody wants to everybody, man. Yeah, everybody wants to be high. And so I just want to ask you, and again, I know I'm your daddy, but I'm having we're having real conversations. We really talk about it. As a youth, were you ever, were you ever um I want to ask that? Were were you were you ever not challenged, okay, but were you ever um did you ever have thoughts of smoking weed? Yeah, did you? I've done it, I've done it. We used to do that in high school. That we used to we used to do this in high school all of its own. So basically, I don't want to interrupt you because I really want you to flow in what you're saying, but you're basically saying that at the end of this broadcast, I need to take my belt off.

SPEAKER_03 28:55

Not necessarily because that's my past, that's the thing too. Your past doesn't have to be your now. That's not on top. That's not me. That's not me no more. So the thing is, it's like, yes, like we did used to do that, you know what I'm saying? And it's like, and the Lord is so good because like this is how also how I how how my I believed in the Lord, but this is how I started to really start to cater to scripture and understand scripture and understand, like, okay, well, this is this is why I'm doing this, and well, this is this is how I can get out of this because I know this now. So I was like, so we used to do this all the time. Like, you would you would get okay, it was during it was during um like quarantine or whatever. So like after quarantine after like the quarantine phase where everybody was like in their house or whatever, and school started again. It's like you had virtual and then you had in person, and like what me and my friends would do, like, and I'm sorry, I'm not gonna say no names or anything, but what we would do is like we would just like we would like he would drop me off, I would walk, I would walk into school or look like I was walking into like the school, and he would drive off, and then I would do a U-turn, and then I would just like we would hang out in the car or whatever, and like do our work online. So, like that that's the thing we would do these things, but we would still be productive though, uh at least from a worldly standpoint. Like, we would still like get our work done, you know what I'm saying? Because it's like we're not trying to we're yes, we're yes, we're doing this, but we know right, right, and wrong enough to to still try to do what's right or do what our parents need us to do as far as like getting our work done and and you know, like trying to trying to go to school and learn or whatever. But but ultimately, yeah, like I remember one day I was all like, but go ahead and yeah, right, right, exactly, exactly. So, and it's like we would I would go to football practice like this, and it's like I thought this is before I knew like the the verse that says uh be sober, be vigilant for your enemy, the devil roams around like a roaring lion, seeking whom you may devour. So, like before I knew that, right? I think the uh like the Lord, even even after, but the Lord allowed me uh He allowed all of that to work out for my good and His glory because like I was starting to like I was starting to learn certain things like even fasting and stuff, like I would do that, I would do that and substitute like eating and stuff like that. Like not to like not to um not to be like I'm just starving myself, but just like I would just like I don't know it was a habit, like I would eat and stuff off of just a habit or just like okay, I'm bored right now. Let me eat something, but then like instead I would do that. I would like okay, I'm I'm bored, but like I'm playing a game with my friends, stuff like that, and like I'm just doing this instead so that I don't at least get fatter or whatever, right? Or overweight, sorry. But um, and that's no shots or nothing, but but anyway, um I remember I was and I was having fun, I was I was working out good, like I was always I was always uh being first in the gasters in football, like coach would tell us to run down and back and stuff like that. I would always do it and be first and stuff like that. So I thought that it was a lot of benefits to it. And and and don't get me don't get me wrong, like the Lord, the Lord created the the world and stuff like that. And um this is something he happened to create, you know what I'm saying? Um the substance marijuana, you know. But I just don't think it should be abused, but and and then like like the word says be so, but but yeah, I was like, Lord, like there's no way this could be wrong. Like, how is this wrong? And I'm doing all of these good things while I'm under the influence or whatever. Because it's like it's like I'm it's like how how is this wrong or whatever? So, but but anyway, I was like, Lord, just please I'll pray for wisdom and I'll pray that you can reveal that answer to me. And then the next day, I kid you not, I promise you the next day. Whenever I did that, the whenever I did exactly what I what I explained about walking into about walking into school and then turn around and go to my one of my friends' cars or whatever. Um, I saw the scripture on my phone, which was what I just explained, be sober, vigilant for your enemy, the devil runs around like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. Um, and then I was like, hmm, I was like, dang, like so, because I cause because what I started to realize is like when you get intoxicated, like at least in the form of marijuana, like you start to you get vulnerable. So like I remember I would be, I would get in situations to where like let's say like I I was excelling in I was excelling if the coach would tell me to run back and forth and stuff like that, and I was first because like I felt like I didn't feel it or whatever due to what I was doing, the substance or whatever. It's like I wasn't really retaining things like I like I should have. It's it's almost like I was cheating, kind of. That's how it feels. It's like, yes, yes, you're doing this, but it's like you're not retaining, you're not retaining it. So like let's say like if we're running plays and stuff like this, too. It's like the coach, the coach would tell me, like, this is what needs to happen on this play or whatever. And it's like sometimes it's like you fraud in the moment, you may do it in the moment, but it's like you're not, it's like you kind of just forget about it, and then and then like let's say like disconnect disconnect, yeah. It's like you start you kind of forget about it, and um, and and whenever it's time to to do that in a real game, what you were rehearsing in practice, it's like you're not all the way there as you would have been if you were just practicing sobriety. So, and that's what I that's what I think like, and that's what I think like the Lord has always been good in in in teaching me and um showing me where I fall short and and and showing me why something shouldn't be, you know what I'm saying? And and that and that's if you genuinely seek him and and and and are open to receive these kind of revelations, you know what I'm saying? Because you can you can receive this revelation and then be like, Well, I still just want to do it though. And then and then after that, that's whenever that's whenever calamity comes, you know what I'm saying, or destruction. Because then it's like you you're you know right, but you're deliberately doing wrong. And then that's whenever stuff, that's whenever the storm starts to come, and then you start to sometimes that that can produce repentance, that can re produce repentance, but then also sometimes people get in and start to be like, Man, I hate you guys, like you're the reason all of this is happening, but it's like that's a lack of accountability then because it's the only reason this is happening is because of what you practice and what you're making out, what what's your what your lifestyle is and what you're serving to essentially, because you're serving your own desires and you're you're your own God at that point, yeah. You know, so wow, it's just like, but yeah, that's I don't know, and memory too. Like, I like remembering things, like I want to remember, like like this. What if like what if somebody what if I was able to say something and speak on something from here or in or any point in life and and carry out some kind of purpose from from how I'm speaking on it in that moment in the future, but it's like I'm I'm limited in how I can do that because of the the mental fog that I'm under, and just like the just like that not remembering and not just being on point, like and that's what I'm saying. You're vulnerable, you're vulnerable, and and that's why he tells us to be sober, and that's a striking point for the devil. That's how the lion comes and he devours, uh you know. So it's just like, and but the Lord is good. I'm here, I'm sitting down, I'm talking to my dad, I'm here with y'all. We we family, you know what I'm saying? And and we just we we you can be redeemed, yeah, you can be redeemed, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 35:11

And I and I'm grateful to the Lord that he kept you through that because uh I'm in the house with you, and I didn't I wasn't aware that that was going on. Of course, most parents don't know what's going on, and and I I'm one of those parents that when y'all not there, I go through y'all rooms. Don't you know that?

SPEAKER_03 35:26

Yeah, because like sometimes my door, my my door will be open. I was like, I know I'll close my door, but like you can.

SPEAKER_05 35:31

No, no, no, because I always put it back the way you uh left it, but but but it have been a couple times because because I don't care if you know, right? Yeah, I didn't care. And you shouldn't care because it's your whole exactly. Right, right, right. So yeah, I would I would I would go through your rooms and I would lift up your covers, lift up your mattress, go through your dresser drawers, look in your underwear, just everywhere. Because I want to see where you're hiding, because because yeah, because because because because the to open the drawer and you see stuff like that, you don't see underwear and stuff, you say, Oh, but ain't nothing in your underwear. No, but it's probably that. So I would dig through socks, I would dig through everything because I just want to know. And uh, you know, I just want to know. And it's not not so that I can attack you, but I just need to know what's going on in my house. Right, this is your duty as a focus. That's right, as a parent. That's what you're supposed to do because you won't build no bombs in my house and I didn't know about it. Exactly. That's not gonna happen. But anyway, uh, you grown now and you're doing good. But yeah, you're doing good. But I'm but but I'm grateful that the Lord kept you through that. And that was one of my prayers, prayers for you and your brother um when y'all were when y'all were born, is that the Lord would make you that was my only request to the Lord is that He would make you productive citizens in the earth, right? Because I want to be able to die in peace, right? Knowing that I didn't leave, you know, that I did my part. Right, you know, and I know a lot of times I was hard on y'all as kids. I was hard on y'all as kids. You remember I sent y'all the text message apologizing? Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 37:00

That's what I matter of fact for being Yeah, yeah, but I but I told you like I like none of that is even like when you understand, like when you have understanding and you understand that you just did the best you could as a father. Who wants to who intentionally does the worst that they can as a father? Well, there are some I mean there, I mean it can happen, but either either way, it's just like I'm not I don't allow that to seep into my headspace where it's like I'm I'm bitter towards you or 100% everything.

SPEAKER_05 37:23

But no, but I I purposely did that. I intentionally did that because I wanted to um because I wanted y'all to know I remember my mom um pulled me to the side one time, and I don't know if you remember that. She said, she said, Eric, what are you doing to them boys? I say, What are you talking about? Say, because they were asking me, what did y'all do to him? He's so mean, he's so mean. He act like he don't like us, and it wasn't that I didn't like y'all, you know. I loved y'all, love y'all still, you know, but but I just wanted you to be productive citizens in the earth, and then and then if I didn't beat you, the world is gonna do it. Yeah, like you said, because I know you said the police and everybody else is gonna do it. And so I had to I had to show that tough love. But once I felt like we got to a place in life where y'all were adults and I didn't have to do that anymore, I didn't have a problem circling back and saying, hey, this is why I did this. And there were times I would whoop y'all or I would fuss at y'all, and I would go to go to the side and be like, oh Lord, I hate doing this. But I needed to do it because I needed you to understand that there's two voices you need to understand that you need to know the voice of the Lord and the voice of Eric. Right. And you need to move when I speak, right?

SPEAKER_03 38:31

Like the Lord spoke. Right. And I I had no problem with you doing it because it's like even like you never, I don't, you've never, you've never disciplined me in a way where it wasn't where it wasn't necessary. Like, like I remember because that's another thing too. Like, like we used to always say crazy things on the games, on a game. Me and my friends, like, we used to be like, bro, I don't even want to really repeat it, but we used to be like, man, I hope you're I hope your your parent dies. I hope like, but we just plan, but like it's like like we just didn't know exactly. We didn't know the scriptural context behind it. We just we just like okay, yeah, we we know that that's not right to say, but we don't know why. Because we don't know that it has power, you know what I'm saying? So so and it's so basically what you said.

SPEAKER_05 39:12

Oh, not to come. Go ahead. So basically what you're what you're saying right now, what you're proving right now is that you have to have the word of the Lord in you so that you can understand that why, yeah, so that you can understand what it is that's expected of you, and that you can understand all these different intricacies of life, right? Right, you know, you know, just the whole thing of you know, speaking life and death. Right. You know, you have we have the ability to speak life and death, and and I have always been one that tried to gauge or monitor or protect what I say, yeah, yeah, because I don't want the wrong thing to manifest. I don't want the wrong thing to manifest. Right, and so yeah, I don't want the wrong thing to manifest.

SPEAKER_03 39:55

It's like opening a portal, like whenever you speak, a portal is opening and whatever you like is coming out.

SPEAKER_05 40:00

I like that. I like that. Yeah, I don't I don't I don't want that to happen. I don't want that to happen. But uh well let me say, Ezra, I uh thank you so much for um I know I was trying to set this up a different way, you know, with you. Oh, yeah, yeah, the boys, but um, but uh with your with your Bible study group, but right I'm glad that it ended up the way that it did because I think that this gave us a different level of connection, amen. And um and then we get to, yeah, we get to we the people get to really hear your heart, right? And get to and you know, you get a chance to just throw some seeds out into the earth that I believe the Lord is gonna give increase to at some point. And then the great thing about stuff like this being videoed is it'll outlive all of us. Amen. Glory to his name. We could be dead and gone for 30 years and somebody pulls something out, here this moment is, yeah, and they and and they he and the else would talk all this good talk.

SPEAKER_03 40:52

Well, this is the spirit through me. But yes, this this meat vessel and then the spirit coming out. Yes, yeah, absolutely, absolutely, yes.

SPEAKER_05 40:58

Yeah, yeah. So that's real. I I love conversations like this because it's just it's powerful, it's impactful, right?

SPEAKER_03 41:04

You know, and that's what we come to do. Like we have these characters, these divine characteristics that the Lord has because we're sourced from him, right? So we we have that's this is these are this is us um, I would say, functioning as we as we were manufactured to function, right? We're not malfunctioning right now, right? Which is exactly how we were meant to function, you know what I'm saying? So exactly, man.

SPEAKER_05 41:24

Well, the good and and and one uh one other thing that I want to I want to do because we're getting ready to wrap this up, you know, it's time to go. This weather is bad out here, but uh, but but uh I I I invited and not on camera, but I invited um Pastor Molten to talk. I invited Kathy Burrell, who is here, and then she has some youth with her. But I want to I want to ask them, and y'all don't have to come on camera or do anything, but I want to ask them if they have any questions or anything that they want to ask or something that they want to know, you know, more about. Yeah. Y'all got any questions y'all want to ask? Y'all y'all good? Y'all gonna ask? Don't be shy.

SPEAKER_06 42:16

Sure. I just wanted to commend Ezra for being this light and this God energy as a young person, the times that we are living in. Like your dad, we were here before with your dad. You're being courageous and you're you're proving that good parenting, God parenting, it really works. He talks about the Bible tells us, you know, when we teach our children the right thing, they're not gonna depart from that. And Ezra, you were so beautiful when you said, Hey dad, I did this. And dad was like, I didn't know you did that. But the beautiful thing is, look where you are right now. Amen. Right now, you made the mistakes, and you're you're where exactly where God wants you to be. So I commend you, and I did bring, you know, my graduate, my son Michael, and his girlfriend Aria, and my baby son Manny, we Carl, we came to to support you, but to also hear what God really wants us to hear right now at this time. So I just want to say thank you. If they don't have any questions, I just want to get up and commend you and thank the both of you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

Yes, yes, yes. Thank you for your words. Thank you for your words. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 43:28

And thank y'all for showing up as well. Thank y'all for y'all didn't y'all didn't y'all didn't have to come out through through all of this bad weather.

SPEAKER_05 43:34

So thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. Y'all have any questions? Y'all comments, anything? Anything, like anything. And you can always ask it any anytime later, and we can we'll get back with you on the uh on the under. Right.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

Ezra, let me let me ask you this because I, you know, and I know we're we're wrapping up, but uh I wanted to commend you for for being uh a student of scripture, and it's obvious, uh, even in conversation, uh, that anytime you say anything, you echo it with with the stamp of scripture. Uh and so in this declining church uh generation where young people don't want to be a part of the church, right? Uh, and you mentioned applying scripture is a big part of how you you follow, pursue that passion or that pursuit that God has given you. Uh, how do you uh stay true to your development and uh discipleship as it relates to the study of scripture?

SPEAKER_03 44:27

Um, so I stay true to it um just by staying focused on on the calling and a purpose and the example and and how you set that. How it's the it's we're in a generation of uh church declining. It's like some people are church hurt too. Like, so I just understand the importance of being. I I understand the importance of the integrity aspect of of knowing scripture, applying scripture, and then setting up setting the example, you know what I'm saying? Setting it setting the the right example, and also just being the one to say, like, just because you experienced this, that doesn't mean that that's what everybody of this faith is is about or like, you know. So I would just say, like, the purpose, that's the purpose is what drives me. And you study it, you study it regularly.

SPEAKER_05 45:12

So he he researches stuff all the time.

SPEAKER_03 45:15

Well, yeah, studying, studying just to show yourself approved, because it's like you never want to go based off of what other people said. No, don't get me wrong, people people have good intentions, but there's some people that have bad intentions or just um unlearn, miss, yeah, miss, miss the context or something. So it's like you want you want to study to show yourself approved, and you also just want to um have your own personal relationship with the Lord. Like you don't get me wrong, you need to you you should have a community around you of uh people that believe and um and also just want to seek the Lord and um and uh and apply the Lord, but um you have to do that research on your own as well, just so you can know and you're not just being tossed to and fro because you don't know yourself. So you have to you just need to, yeah. That's that's my that's my drive. My drive is the purpose, I would say. That's that's what motivates me to just keep going.

SPEAKER_05 45:59

All right, but that's real good. But listen, I appreciate everybody for tuning in today. I appreciate you, my son, for being here with me. You know, I love you a whole lot.

SPEAKER_03 46:12

Love you too.

SPEAKER_05 46:12

I love you a whole lot, and then my guests that are here that you can't see. I appreciate y'all for coming and hanging out with us. And so I just want to leave y'all with these couple things, even the technicians and stuff that are here. You know, I want to leave y'all with this. Life is gonna life, pressure is gonna come, people are gonna talk, situations are gonna hit, but you don't have to trip. You can trust God, you can stay grounded, you can walk in who you are, even when it's not popular. This has been episode number two of Trusting, not tripping, life be life and see you on the next episode. Love y'all. Y'all take care.